Disney+ Subscriptions More Than Triple as People Commit to Staying Home
Courtesy of movieweb.com:
Given what’s going on in the world right now, most of us are stuck at home practicing self-isolation and social distancing. That has left many people looking for new streaming options. The winner here seems to be Disney+, as the streaming service has seen a massive surge in subscriptions recently. Most streaming services, similarly, have seen a spike, save for Apple TV+, which is trailing the rest of the pack.
According to a new report, data collected by the analytics firm Antenna shows that from Saturday, March 14, 2020, and Monday, March 16, 2020, the number of Disney+ signups more than tripled when compared to the prior week. This is excellent news for Disney, as they put a lot of resources into the streaming service, which launched in the U.S. in November 2019. The idea is to give Disney a big arm in the streaming game, which is largely seen as the future of the entertainment business. Disney controls Hulu and ESPN+ as well, which they offer for a package deal with Disney+ for $12.99 per month. The standard service goes for $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually.
Other streaming services saw impressive spikes as well during this same period. HBO was next in line with a 90 percent increase, followed by Showtime, which boosted its numbers by 78 percent. Netflix may be the real winner here though, as they increased new signups by 47 percent. Given that they currently have more than 150 million subscribers worldwide, in terms of overall volume, that’s a huge increase. Meanwhile, Apple TV+, which costs just $4.99 per month, trailed way behind, seeing just a 10 percent increase.
While Apple has put a lot of resources into its streaming service, ordering projects from M. Night Shyamalan and other top creatives, spawning hits like The Morning Show, Apple TV+, as a whole, hasn’t made a huge splash in the industry. There’s also increased competition coming down the pipeline, as HBO Max is set to launch later this year, as is NBC’s Peacock. Plus, there is Quibi, a service specializing in short-form content, that seems to be the dark horse in this race.
Everyone is just trying to catch up with Netflix, as the company is spending billions on original content, which is driving subscribers. Disney+, back in February, was getting ready to cross the 30 million subscriber mark as it was revealed the company had amassed 28.6 million subscribers. The question is truly about subscriber retention. Shows like The Mandalorian were a huge draw out of the gate for Disney+, but do they have enough to keep the attention of new users? Things are going to improve, as Marvel shows such as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will begin rolling out this year. At the very least, while people are cooped up inside, Disney+ has piqued the curiosity quite a few consumers. This news comes to us via Forbes.
